Method of completing wells



May l! 1945- E. a BYRD METHOD 0F COMPLETING WELLS Filed oct. 5.' 1942 :s sheds-sheet :s

Y INVENTOR;

N Fm,

--A17' ORNE Y UNITED "s'lllrlssi PATENT volflilcl:

I i I Ma'mon 'oF I Edwin E. Byrd, noneton, Tex'., mignon to stnnliofDelaware ard' Oil Development Company, acorporation Applioation october 5.11942, serial No. 460,749

The present invention is .directed to a method of completing wells, in which a screen or perforated liner is placed in the' well adjacent a producing formation.` y f.

If the producing formation penetrated by a borehole is unconsolidated or incompetent, itis necessary, or at least very desirable, to place a screen or perforated liner in the-well adjacent the producing formation. It ls almost inevitable that foreignmaterials, such as cuttings, will be' present in the borehole while the screen liner is being set and theseforeign materials coat not l only the surface of the producing formation but will be deposited on exterior of the screen in i `conventional completion operations.

The present invention is directed to a method of completing wells which ensures the removal -of foreign-material trapped in the annulus between the screen and the wall of the well before production of fluid through the screen is initiated. The method of the present invention may' be practiced with' a variety of borehole equipment.

In the drawing, several embodimentsA of suitable equipment are illustrated. It will be apparent;

however, that the method of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the use of the specic equipment shown, but, rather, the devices .illustrated are typical. Undoubtedly ,workmen skilled in the artwill be lable to design other equipment capable of being used in performing lrangedtoilvypsssiluid from a the method of the present invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 illustrates an arrangement suitable for i the practice of thepresent invention, with the Adevicein position for bypassing-the screen liner in cleaning foreign matter from the annulus between vthe screen and the wall of the borehole;

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary view of the arrange` mentshown in Fig. 1 with the device manipulated A to close the bypass and bring fluid from ,the Prducingformatlon, through the screen Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating an-v 2 Claims (Cl. 16S-21) christmas' tree ls. vArranged within the well and supported by hanger I4 is tubing I6.'

' In the Ilower portion of the well adjacent producing formation I1 is an assembly comprising -shoe I8 secured to the lower' end of a screen I9 `by mating screw threads 20. This assembly is attached to the lower end of tubing I6 for lowering into the borehole by suitable. means, such as Slidingly arranged within the shoe is a slide valve 25 of general cylindrical shape provided withv ports 26 mating with those in the shoe. A circular perforated plate 21 is'secured to thefupper other apparatus suitable for use in practicing the Y present invention adjusted to bypass the screen;

Fig. 4 illustrates the same embodiment set to allowiluid owthrough the screen;

. Fig. 5 illustrates another type o f apparatus ar-l producing formatlonaround a screen liner; and

Pig.'6 the arrangement of 5 with the.

. bypass portion of cylindrical member' 25 to form a unitary member.

Shear pin 28 extends through a suitable Aopening in the wall of shoe I8 into a corresponding opening'in the wall of cylindrical member Zito hold the sleeve valve in open position with ports 24, 26 coinciding,while the device is being low-b/ ered into the borehole and foreignmatter is being removed therefrom prior to the employment of the screen for production. The upper end of shoe I8 is provided with a suitable interior ledge 29, and retained between ledge 29 and the upper/ l surface of member 25 is a coil spring 30 biasing the slide valve downwardly.

In completing a well the screen, shoe, and tubing will be arranged in the lower portion of the borehole in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. Tubing I5 will then be released from the screen and shoe assembly by resting the shoe on the bottom and rotating the tubing to the right to release lefthand thread 2l. The tubing will then be withdrawn so that setting tool 23 will engage packer 22 and theweight of the tubingthen employed to set packer 22. With these preliminary steps' completed. flow of fluid will be initiated by swab- Referring now speeiaoauy to tnedrowings, and

metto ma 1 ond 2. aboienole ll' le provided wlthcuing- I2 cemented atib lowerendwith cement plus Il andwithtuhlnghanaerll and blng tubing I' or equivalent manipulation.' The procedure of swabbing to bring in a well is. of course. conventional to the art.'

.The new initiated come through side ports Il', 2l, thus b the screen I 9. This step 'ofilowing iluid from the producing zone through ports 2l, 2| will be continued until foreign bodies from'thoannularspacebeweenthewalloftha screen.

the well are carried out of the borehole. With the well arranged as above described, uid flow l' will be possible through screen I9 in addition to ow through ports 24, 26. However, the resistance to ow of fluid by the screen will be greater than iiow through the ports and substantially all of the flow will be through ports 24, 26. Accordingly, the foreign matter present in the annulus between the screen assembly and the wall of the borehole and plugging agents from `the face of the producing formation will be carried through ports 24, 26 and upwardly out of the hole, and little or no material will be carried under pressure against the exterior wall of the After the flow has been continued at such a rate and for such a period of time as to remove foreign material from the bottom of the well, the slide valve may be closed and production 'brought through screen I9. The closing of the valvel is accomplished by shearing pin 28. The valve in closed position is illustrated in Fig. 2. In this flgure also is shown tripping weight 3l suspended by wire line 32. The dropping of weight 3| on plate 21 shears pin 28 whereupon prompt closing of the'valve is insured by the action of spring 30. It is convenient to attach the tripping weight to a wire line to withdraw it from the borehole, but this is unnecessary and, if desired, a weight may be dropped down the tubing to shear the pin 28 and allowed to remain in shoe ,18. Upon the closing of ports 24, 26 ow of iluid is diverted through screen I9, and the well is then allowed to produce in the conventional manner.

A modification of apparatus suitable for performing the steps described above is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In this embodiment, shoe 35 is provided with side. port 24. Within the shoe isl slidabl'y arranged cylindrical member 36 provided with port 26. These two members are held in position by shear pin 28. Near the upper end of member 36 is a circular groove 38. A suitable spring-actuated catch 39 isarranged in the interior wall of the shoe to engage groove -38 when member 36 is moved into an upward position to close ports 24. Member 36 is provided with a suitable spearhead 40 arranged for engaging a conventional iishing tool.

` The shoe illustrated in Fig. 3 is attached to a string of tubing and to a well. screen in the vsame manner as that shown in Figs. l1 and 2, and the same manipulative steps are employed when using this device until it is desired toclose the side ports 24. When this stage of the manipulation is reached, a suitable grappling means is lowered on a wire line to engage Spearhead 40. 4An upward jpull of the wire line then raises member -36 to close ports 24 and the engagement ofcatch 39 withgroove 38 retains the'asse'mbly in this position. The device for manipulation to close ports 24 is illustrated in Fig. 4 with a grappling tool -41 engaging Spearhead 40 andsecured to wire line 42. A

Stillanothe; embodiment suitable for practicing the present invention is illustrated inthe fragmentary views of Figs. 5 and `6.j This device is used in the saine manner as that illustrated in' the preceding'n l es. shoe-4t is provided at its lower'end with de ports 46, and a slight distance operate with ledge 48 to form a .iluid-tight seal. During the washing operation the trap door is open, as in Fig. 5, and when the washing operation is completed the trap door may be closed, as in Fis'. 6. A spring 49 is attached both to the trap door and the shoe to bias the door in a closed position. A suitable trigger arrangement is provided for retaining the door in open position duringthe washing operation, and forl closing the door at the option of the operator. Such a suitable ,arrangement is shown in the drawing comprising' lug 50 attached to door 41, ledge 6| secured to the wall of the casing shoe. member 62 fitting between the ledge and lug, bent lever 53 pivoted to tlie upper end of member 62, and member 54 extending upwardly, with its upper end. secured to clr-` cular member 66. When it is desired to operate v'the trigger'to release the trap door a suitablel The device with the ent invention. It is accordingly my intention not to be restricted to any particular apparatus but to claim, instead, a method of completing wells wherein foreign matter is cleaned out of the hole after the screen is in position. The manipulative steps make available a substantial velocity of fluid flow for cleaning the face of the producing formation and the lower part of the borehole witholuththe' deposition of these foreign matey v rials on the screen, with resulting clogging of this member. y

Having fully described and illustrated the practice of the presentinvention. what I desire to claim is:

1. A method of completingl wells, comprising the step of arranging a screen in the well adjacent a producing formation, packing of! the annular space between `the screen and the face of the producing formation from the remainder of the well, flowing iiuid from said packed of! an- "nular space. while by-passing said screen until substantially allforeign material has been removed from the face of the producingy formation and the bottom ci the borehole, and subsequently producing said well only from said packed cif space through said screen without disturbing said 2. In thecompletion of a well whereina screen is arrangedin said well adJacent a producing formation, the steps of pa g of! the annular space between the screen and ducing formation from the remainder of the we bypassing said screen to flow liquid from said' packed oil annular space tothe surfacev of the v'earth through ports of substantially less esisti ance to iiow than saidscreen. continuing said ow until the face of the producing formation and the packed off annular space between the face of the hole and screen issubstantially free of foreign upwardly-a hinged trap door 41 is arranged tocomatter, -and subsequentlyrchauging the direction of flowvto produce all fluid from said cil annular space through said screen without disturbing saidscreeri. y -1 y ,.fg1 mwmnimm e face of the pro- 

